String/character input with getline

Hi all,

I'm able to use getline() in my loadLecturers() function if the text file contains one-word names, however, if I want a forename/surname combination it reads nothing and outputs a blank line.

I've tried this using string variables AND char arrays but no luck with either.

I'd be very grateful for any help whatsoever!

Please find my code and text file contents below for your perusal.

Code:

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4
2
l4
Joe McDonnell
3
l5
Tom Hunt
5
l6
Craig Gooding
6
l7
Josh Dunbar

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Code:

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//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Title        : Aggregation and Composition in a University System
// Author        :
// Date        :
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Pre-processor Directives
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

#include <iostream>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string>
#include <fstream>
using namespace std;

#define MAXDEPTSPERUNIV      10
#define MAXLECTSPERDEPT      5
#define MAXSTRINGLENGTH    25

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Class Definition
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

class lecturerClass
{
  private:
    string lecturerName;
  public:
    lecturerClass()            { lecturerName = "";      }
    string getName()            { return lecturerName;          }
    void setName(string newName) { lecturerName = newName; }
};

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Class Definition
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

class departmentClass
{
  private:
    string departmentName;
    int numLecturers;
    lecturerClass* lecturer[ MAXLECTSPERDEPT ]; // Aggregation
  public:
    departmentClass();
    string getDepartmentName()            { return departmentName;          }
    void addLecturer( lecturerClass &newLecturer );
    void printLecturerNames();
    void setDN( string );
};

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Member Function Implementations
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

void departmentClass::setDN( string a )
{
    departmentName = a;
} // end function setDN

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

void departmentClass::printLecturerNames()
{
    for ( int j = 0; j < numLecturers; j++ )
    {
        cout << "\t" << lecturer[ j ]->getName() << endl;
    } // end for loop
} // end function printLecturerNames

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

departmentClass::departmentClass()
{
  departmentName = "";
  numLecturers=0;
}

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

void departmentClass::addLecturer(lecturerClass &newLecturer)
{
  lecturer[numLecturers] = &newLecturer;
  numLecturers++;
}

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Class Definition
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

class universityClass
{
  private:
    departmentClass department[MAXDEPTSPERUNIV]; // Composition
    int currentNumDepts;
    string name;
  public:
    void addLecturer( lecturerClass &lect, int deptcode );
    void intialiseDepartmentNames();
    string getUniversityName();
    void setUniversityName( string );
    void printDeptNames();
    void loadDepts();
    void loadLecturers();
};

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Member Function Implementations
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

void universityClass::loadLecturers()
{
    ifstream lectsFile( "D:\\lecturerNames.txt", ios::in );

    // exit program if unable to create file
    if ( !lectsFile )
    {
        cerr << "File could not be opened" << endl;
        exit( 1 );
    } // end if

    // declare two integer and two string variables
    char lecturerName[ MAXSTRINGLENGTH ] = "", objectName[ MAXSTRINGLENGTH ] = "";
    /* string lecturerName, objectName; */
    int header, departmentID;

    // read the header value to determine the number of records
    lectsFile >> header;

    cout << header << endl;

    // read records adding each one
    while ( header > 0 )
    {
        // read record
        lectsFile >> departmentID;

        /* getline( lectsFile, objectName );
        getline( lectsFile, lecturerName ); */

        lectsFile.getline( objectName, MAXSTRINGLENGTH );
        lectsFile.getline( lecturerName, MAXSTRINGLENGTH );

        cout << departmentID << endl << lecturerName << endl << objectName << endl << endl;
/*
        // create LecturerClass object
        lecturerClass objectName;

        // set lecturer name
        objectName.setName( lecturerName );

        // add the lecturer to the appropriate department with departmentID
        addLecturer( objectName, departmentID );
*/
        // decrement header value
        header--;

    } // end while loop

} // end function loadLecturers

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

void universityClass::loadDepts()
{
    ifstream deptsFile( "D:\\departmentNames.txt" );
    if ( !deptsFile )
    {
        cerr << "File could not be opened" << endl;
        exit( 1 );
    } // end if
    string a;
    int i = 0;
    while ( i < MAXDEPTSPERUNIV )
    {
        deptsFile >> a;
        department[ i ].setDN( a );
        i++;
    } // end while loop
} // end function loadDepts

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

void universityClass::printDeptNames()
{
    for ( int i = 0; i < MAXDEPTSPERUNIV; i++ )
    {
        cout << department[ i ].getDepartmentName() << endl;
        department[ i ].printLecturerNames();
    } // end for loop
} // end function printDeptNames

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

string universityClass::getUniversityName()
{
    return name;
} // end function getUniversityName

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

void universityClass::setUniversityName( string uniName )
{
    name = uniName;
} // end function setUniversityName

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

void universityClass::addLecturer(lecturerClass &lect, int deptcode)
{
  department[deptcode].addLecturer(lect);
} // end function addLecturer

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

void universityClass::intialiseDepartmentNames()
{
    department[0].setDN("Engineering");
    department[1].setDN("Computing");
    department[2].setDN("Psychology");
    department[3].setDN("Divination");
    department[4].setDN("Chemistry");
    department[5].setDN("Biology");
    department[6].setDN("Potions");
    department[7].setDN("Economics");
    department[8].setDN("Dark Arts");
    department[9].setDN("Ninja");
    currentNumDepts=10;
}

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Main Function Implementation
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

int main(void)
{
  universityClass angliaRuskin;
  angliaRuskin.intialiseDepartmentNames();

  lecturerClass l1, l2, l3;

  l1.setName("Ian van der Linde");
  l2.setName("Antony Carter");
  l3.setName("Mike Smith");

  angliaRuskin.addLecturer(l1, 1);
  angliaRuskin.addLecturer(l2, 4);
  angliaRuskin.addLecturer(l3, 8);

  angliaRuskin.setUniversityName( "Anglia Ruskin University" );

  cout << angliaRuskin.getUniversityName() << endl << endl;

  angliaRuskin.loadDepts();

  angliaRuskin.loadLecturers();

  // angliaRuskin.printDeptNames();
} // end main

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The short answer is use getline() for everything, then extract what you need from a string in memory.

Mixing getline() and >> methods is a recipe for disaster.

You can hack it to some extent by doing
fin >> var;
fin.ignore(); // burn the troublesome newline
fin.getline();